Text written by ARNO volunteer Jeanette Althans
Jeanette also named the cats on this page. Their real (pre-Katrina) names are unknown.

Once you have viewed the "forgotten cats" and read their stories,
please consider the many ways you can help ARNO by visiting the "How to help" page.

"BAILEY"

This gray tabby appears to be 1-3 years old, and is afraid of people. He is being fed on the porch of a resident. The homeowner was afraid that the original f/w station would be torn down and the cats possibly injured. One week after we moved the f/w station to the resident’s porch, the original f/w station was demolished. We have provided a feeder and the food because 2-3 cats eat on this resident’s porch.

"VELVET"

This kitty just showed up recently and may be someone’s pet. He is usually found sunning on the porch of a house that is being renovated. The f/w station is two doors down.

"TIGER GIRL"

Tiger Girl is a Maine Coon mix that made it through Katrina. Her former owner had over 25 cats and was unable to evacuate with them. Even though Tiger Girl's former owner was located, she is unable to take any cats into her current living arrangement. She is hoping someone will give Tiger Girl a forever home.

Prior to Katrina Tiger Girl was a very sweet cat. After spending the past 18 months fending for herself on the streets, she may need to be tamed down a bit.

"OREO"

This black and white cat is being fed by a resident living in a FEMA trailer while he is fixing his home. He has been very gracious and is feeding 4-5 cats on his porch. This black and white cat has a left ear tip but is not feral.

"MORGAN"

This black cat has been a regular at one of the f/w stations in Lakeview for months. He is often waiting for the food. It appeared that he has some scratches on his legs, which now seem to be healed. He is usually spotted within a two block area of the f/w station. We are trying to determine if this cat is a match for an owner who has relocated to California.

"STRUDEL"

This beautiful long hair tortoiseshell is young and most likely born on the street after Katrina. She may even be the mother of some young kittens in the area.

"SPICE"

This kitty was originally eating at a f/w station in a house that was slated to be torn down, so we moved the f/w station. The new station was located in the open garage of a gutted house. After a few months of feeding at the new station, the garage was closed up and work began on the house. We had to move the station about 1 ½ blocks away, and we hope this kitty has found it. She has an ear tip and appears somewhat friendly.

"SNUGGLES"

A resident who moved back to her home is currently feeding this gray tabby. She is not a "cat person", but has been kind enough to feed two cats that are hanging around her house. This gray kitty is somewhat friendly.

"WHISPER"

I recently started seeing this cat regularly. However, the location where I spot this cat is not near any known f/w stations. The nearest station is about 3 blocks away, so I am not sure where this cat has been eating. I set up a new f/w station under the deck of a gutted house where the cat is usually sunning. The cat is ear tipped, and very afraid.

"PATIENCE & MARLEY"

These two cats live in a house that is still not gutted. They can run up in the attic and come out on the roof to sun. There are several cats and kittens living in this house.

"QUINN"

This black and white cat is probably a tom cat. When I saw him last, he looked a little beat up, with scratch marks on his legs.

"ZODIAC"

This torti is usually waiting for her food. She often is under the house and comes out when fresh food is provided. She is still scared but not feral.

"ADDISON"

This cat was recently spotted and appears very afraid. The cat could be young, possibly born after Katrina, living its entire life on the street.

"BUTTONS"

This cat was spotted in December 2006 eating a mouse. The food and water station, where 3 bowls were filled on Monday, was completely empty on Saturday, possibly because dogs ate the food. Good thing the cat is skillful enough to catch dinner.

"CHANDLER"

This was one of the first cats spotted in November of 2005, when it was rare to see any signs of life during daylight hours. This cat was always at the food/water station waiting for fresh food. Rebbie Levingston, a former feeder, said that this cat was her "inspiration." When I asked a neighbor if she knew the cat, she said that it was a "neighborhood cat." The cat is still in the same area and is much friendlier than most of the "Katrina cats." She will not let me pet her yet but will meow at me and follow me when I start to leave. Three or four times we have had to move the food/water station that she was using because the houses were being worked on or demolished.

"DAISY"

I have been feeding this calico cat since June. The food/water station was initially set up for her on the porch of a gutted house. After several months, the owner of the house asked us not to feed there anymore because someone had stolen some items from his house. The man who lived next door said that we could feed her in his front yard. He said she was a "neighborhood cat" and did not belong to anyone in particular. Because the food disappears every night, possibly due to dogs, I try to feed her every weekday when I am in the area. She is usually waiting for her food but is still too scared for me to get close to her. In September, for almost a week straight, she waited for me each morning on the roof of the house next door. I wondered if she was trying to tell us something.

"SPECKLES"

This orange and white cat was first spotted at a food/water station in February, 2006. I now see him regularly within a few blocks from where he was first spotted. He has a very distinctive face with a clipped left ear. I wish we could find someone for him. He is not feral but still too scared to let us get close to him.

"ZEPHYR"

In the spring of 2006, this cat was trapped by the feeders, fixed, and released back to his neighborhood. We have been told that he was a neighborhood cat. He is not feral but still somewhat scared. He eats at a food/water station in a gutted house. So far, work has not begun on the house, and we are able to keep the food/water station.

"SNOOKS"

This is one of the first cats spotted. In November 2005, the cat was sitting by the empty bowl of food with "NO CAT FOUND" written on the house. She does not belong to this house.

The cat looked in better shape a year ago. Now she is a little thinner and her coat is not as full. The homeowner's granddaughter has asked us to stop feeding at the house. We moved the food/water station across the street, but the house is for sale and may be a problem in the future. Several other nearby houses have all been torn down.

"WINSTON"

This guy is always waiting for fresh food. We used to feed him in the garage of the house. The workers kept throwing away the food, so we moved the food outside and keep it covered inside of a plastic litter container. His food needs to be checked or changed every time it rains. He has a left ear clip and is not feral. He will meow at us but not let anyone get too close. He usually peeks out from the utility room, waiting until the coast is clear to come eat.

"SMUDGE"

I have not seen this cat since September 2006. The cat was usually on the same block as the feeding station. After the house that served as the food/water station was gutted, the food was thrown away. We continued to feed in the alley next to the house. However, we recently discovered that "Max," a dog that moved in across the street, has been eating the cat food. We now leave food on top of the brick wall. The food needs to be changed any time it rains.

I assume that the owners of the yellow house wrote "The parade must go on" to give other residents hope and encouragement to rebuild their homes and their lives in Lakeview.

"PARKER"

The workers at the food/water station kept throwing the food out, so we started feeding this cat under the carport of a house about a block away. In early December 2006, a note was left at the new food/water station: "PLEASE DO NOT FEED CATS HERE." We are trying to lure him to another food/water station that is located about a block and a half away.

"CHLOE"

This torti always came running when I drove up to fill the food/water station. She is scared of people and keeps her distance. The house that served as the food/water station was demolished in August 2006 so we moved the station next door. In December, the second food/water station was also torn down. We are trying to lure her to a food/water station about a block away.

"UNK"

This guy is a neighborhood cat called "Unk." The former neighbors used to feed him along with their own cats. He is not feral but will not let anyone pet him. The neighbors who were taking care of him are in the process of tearing down their old house to rebuild. Because the dog Max eats the food at his food/water station, we have to feed him on top of the brick wall. The food needs to be changed any time it rains. Most of the houses in Unk's area are on slabs on the ground and are being demolished and rebuilt up higher, so it is difficult finding a new feeding spot.

"LICORICE" & "MOLASSES"

Several cats eat at this food/water station in this brick double in Lakeview. The house is not gutted yet and will probably be torn down. The food is kept on the carport and we plan to move it next door to lure the cats from the house prior to demolition. The feeders have opened all the doors and windows so the cats can escape if demolition begins. The long-haired black and white kitten is adorable.

"LOGAN"

This gray with white tabby has a distinctive white tail tip. He does not appear feral. He shares his feeding spot with the "neighborhood calico." Their food needs to be changed anytime it rains. However, both cats have not been spotted at the same time.

"MASON"

This long-haired gray tabby was trapped by a Lakeview feeder, fixed, then released back. He is very afraid of people and possibly feral. He is always hanging out near the food/water station and always hungry. The station has been moved down, one house at a time, four times already, due to complaints from the homeowners.

"GALAXY" REUNITED!

This cat was spotted on Memphis Street in December 2005. At that time, photos of the Lakeview cats were posted on a Katrina pets website. A former Lakeview resident contacted me because he thought the orange cat spotted on Memphis was his cat. When I spotted the cat again in January, I discovered the cat was friendly and called the resident immediately. He was across the lake and left right away to come to Lakeview with a borrowed cat carrier.

In the meantime, the cat wandered into a "jungle" backyard and climbed on an old wooden swingset. I panicked, thinking the cat was going to disappear before the owner arrived. I called another feeder to come help, and we were able to lure the cat back with bits of food. When the owner and his wife arrived, they were very disappointed to discover the cat was not their "Kitty." However, they agreed to foster the cat instead of leaving it in the devastation.

A few weeks later, the cat's real owner identified him as Galaxy. He came down to New Orleans for Jazz Fest and brought the cat back with him to Colorado. He emailed me when he got home, stating that Galaxy was relaxing on the sofa with the dog, as usual.

"CUTIE PIE "

This cat was trapped in Lakeview this past summer. She is feral and awaiting transport to a sanctuary.

"WHITNEY"

This torti was living on a block in Lakeview where several neighbors complained about cats. One of the animal lover neighbors trapped the torti for us, thinking it belonged to someone several blocks away. Unfortunately, the cat was not the one from a few blocks away. One of the Lakeview feeders is currently fostering the cat, since we cannot put her back where she was living due to the neighbors.

"BOY" ADOPTED!

Boy was a friendly neighborhood cat prior to Katrina. One of the neighbors who had fed him spotted him on a website featuring roaming Lakeview pets and contacted the Lakeview feeders. After the Lakeview feeders trapped Boy, the neighbors decided to take him to their new home.

"CLOVER"

This long-haired gray cat is feeding at a food/water station housed inside a recycle bin, under the overhang of a utility room. The owners of the house that served as the original food/water station asked us to stop feeding there. The station was moved under the house next door. That house was torn down, so the station was moved again. The owner of the present food/water station will let us know before his house is torn down. I was told that she was a "neighborhood cat" prior to the storm.

Has one of the above cats tugged at your heartstrings?
Do you know of a no-kill shelter willing to take in a cat or two?
Can you help with feeding, transporting, or donating supplies?
Please visit the "How to help" page and consider the many ways you can help these "forgotten" cats.